Half to ary metzelaar



(No Model.)

E. S. BUTLER.

LETTER BOX- PatentedMar. 5, 1895.

Inventor.

MWWI M 6W Ex Attorney.

Witnesses: JQ (5% %;/4,,

IJNTTED STATES PATENT Trice.

EDWARD S. BUTLER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOARY METZELAAR, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,317, dated March 5,1895.

Application filed December 10, 1894. Serial No. 531,394:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD S. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in letter boxes to attach atdwellings for delivery purposes, and its objects are: first, to providea cheap and convenient letter box that may be attached, either to thedoor direct, or to the door j amb, as desired; and, second, to providean improved appliance with which to attach it to the door jamb. I attainthese objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of the end of my box. Fig. 2.is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3. is a section showing themanner of applying my new appliance for fastening the box to the doorjamb. Fig. 4. is a sectional plan of the box; and Fig. 5. is a side viewof the door that is placed upon the bottom of the box for use when thebox is attached to the door.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The body Aof my box is made, preferably, of tin folded to form the twosides and the front of the box with the back, above the portion at, openso that when the box is attached to the door jamb with the back againstthe door, the opening of the door will open the box and the contents maybe readily removed.

In the top of the .box I place a triangular door, pivoted upon the pins1), to the sides of the box, as at B, in Fig. 1, in such a position thatthe introduction of mail matter will nocessitate turning it over, andafter the mail has dropped into the box the door will close asillustrated by the lines, solid and dotted, in Fig. 1. The box may,also, be provided with a curved guard, as I), placed in such positionthat the mail matter M cannot be conveniently reached from the ingressopening or door, after it has been placed in the box. The door B iscovered by a door A that is pivoted to the top of the box, as at a inposition to form a perfect protection against rain, &c.

For the purpose of securing this box disupport 0, designed to be securedto the jamb with nails or screws, 0, and has an arm, as a bent at rightangles to the body and standing in position to enter slots 0' in theside of the box, when the ends are bent down, as indicated by the dottedlines, and the box there by held to place.

When the box is secured directly to the door so that the opening of thedoor will not open the box, Iprovide for removing the mail by means of adetached bottom D, pivoted, or hinged, to the side by means of bentwires 01, passing through the side, as indicatedin Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5,so that the bottom door may swing freely down to the position indicatedby the dotted lines in Fig. 2, or may be easily removed and placed onthe opposite end of the box. This bottom door is secured to place, whenclosed, by a spring catch, as D pivoted to the end opposite the pivotwires (1, as at d and projecting upward along the side of the box, andprovided with an inwardly projecting pin d that passes through a hole din the side of the box. Both sides of the box are provided with holesfor the reception of all the pins, (1 and at, so that the bottom doorcan be attached to swing open from either side to correspond with theswing of the house door to which it is attached, the object being toattach the box to the door jamb close to the stile, and to have thecatch D on the side of the box next to the door so that when the door isshut the catch will be held to place by the door in such a manner thatit will be impossible to open the box until the door is opened, thusproviding a perfectly secu re lock with no additional expense. Thesupport 0 may, also, be attached to either side of the box, as theposition of the house door may require.

The openings E are simply to look through. to ascertain if there is anymail in the box.

In Fig. 4; the dotted lines F are designed to represent the house doorjamb, and F to represent the door, for the purpose of illustrating themode of fastening the catch D" as hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a letter box, a box inclosed on three sides, a triangular door inthe top of the box, and a cover hinged to the top of the box, to closeover said triangular door, in combination with a guard projecting fromthe upper front edge of the box diagonally toward the center, and underthe triangular door so that mail matter placed in the box will drop backof it out of reach, and a detachable door provided at one end with hooksarranged to engage with apertures in the side of the box to form a pivotor hinge for the door, an arm projecting up' at right angles from theopposite end of said door and provided with a catch to engage with anaperture in the side of the box to secure the door, substantially asshown.

2. A letter box having a cover pivoted to open and close, and atriangular rotative door pivoted into the top of said box; incombination with a detachable bottom having hooks at one end to engagewith apertures in the box to form hinges, and an arm projecting up atright angles from the other end and provided with a hook to engage withan aperture in the box to secure the bottom when closed said arm inposition to be between the house door, when closed, and the side of thebox, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 26th day of November, 1894.

EDWARD S. BUTLER.

In presence of- ITHIEL J. CILLEY, GEO. E. SHAFER.

